


Alive in the Nighttime

by Anonymous



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Biting, Cunnilingus, Don’t Let Me Write at 4AM, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Mildly Dubious Consent, Oneshot, Oral Sex, Top!byleth, Werewolf!Byleth, mild violence, no beta we die like Glenn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:54:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24901885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Edelgard is crafty with leaving the monastery at night. She goes out to clear her head and savor the scarce moments she has away from her responsibilities but one night she finds herself pinned under the gaze of a strange creature and suddenly her nights start to become less lonely.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 10
Kudos: 167
Collections: Anonymous





	Alive in the Nighttime

**Author's Note:**

> Aaaaa this was written during my finest hours (1-5 AM) and it really shows. 
> 
> Anyway, this had been chilling in my drive for about a month with me fretting over it every once and awhile and I decided to just throw it out there and see what happens.

The pale light of a full moon bore down over Fodlan, casting beautiful and wicked shadows from behind dark clouds. The wind glided in currents, making the trees whisper of the magic and mystery that came with a night such as this. 

What had possessed Edelgard to wander so far from the bounds of Garegg Mach were unbeknownst to her. The chill of the night air had lulled most of the residents of the monastery to sleep, save for her and those that were meant to keep watch. She had gotten clever with her sneaking out. There were many hidden entrances and exits to the monastery, not many of them were guarded. She carried nothing but her axe and a desire to be free of her responsibilities if only while the stars glowered overhead. 

How stomping about through a thicket was meant to help, she wasn’t sure. She twirled and played with her axe in a manner unbefitting the heir of the Adestrian Empire. Perhaps that’s why she continued to do it.

She always started on the same trail that led her up slopes and over creeks until she eventually found the same summit. There she would spend the sleepless night, looking out to the tiny specks of light from above the trees where she knew other towns lie.

It wasn’t the best use of her time at all, and that’s why she loved it. 

The day was full of training, fighting, and learning. The evening belonged to Hubert and planning for her future ambitions, the worst parts of her days. However, the night was hers and hers alone. The only time she wasn’t the princess or the future ruler of the Adestrian Empire. She wasn’t a noble, she wasn’t even Edelgard. She was just a part of the scenery, something that stood amongst nature and watched, feeling and breathing in the world around her. 

There was something odd about tonight, though. Edelgard knew it right from the moment she had left the monastery. A stillness had befallen the forest, the nocturnal animals had fled, even the bubbling of the creek had seemed to quiet down as much as it could. It was as if the world was holding its breath, watching, waiting for something. Whether it was a beautiful or dreadful thing, Edelgard couldn’t tell, but the eerie quiet had raised the hair on her arms and caused the axe she gripped to feel more valuable than it ever had. 

Edelgard sat on a fallen log, staring up at the stars which felt bright and close enough to fall from the heavens like snow. Whatever had her on edge was more than likely nothing other than the crude mix of her imagination and paranoia. She was fine, just restless. She had been doing this for weeks now, there was nothing to be afraid of as long as she was mindful of herself. 

Edelgard was more than capable of looking after herself, she had been for years. The forest couldn’t produce something that she was unable to deal with. That was her belief. 

As long as-

Through that piercing silence a howl cut through. Wolves were a common resident of the area, Edelgard knew that. This was something more, deeper, more desperate. Hungry. And goddess it was close.

Edelgard felt herself tense and twist around, searching for where it had come from. It had vibrated in her chest and shaken her to her core. It was sent out into the sky like a prayer, bewitching and nearly otherworldly. 

It came again and this time Edelgard found its owner. 

A wolf, bigger than any Edelgard had ever seen before, on the incline just a few hundred yards away from her. Its back arched as it craned its head towards the moon, singing the song that had frozen the forest. Moonlight caught in indigo fur, outlining the creature against the black sky. 

Edelgard’s heart rammed against her chest in its fear and her hands darted to grab her axe. The howling stopped and the wolf’s gaze traveled down, staring right at her. Suddenly her mouth was dry and her legs were useless beneath her. She couldn’t move, couldn’t bring herself to run or even to look away. There was something paralyzing about the way it looked at her. Too much intelligence behind those eyes.

When it leapt from the cliff and ran at her, Edelgard could only watch.

She was helpless at that moment, her body was stuck in time, her heart’s uproar in her ears the only part of her that seemed to know how to function. It was closing distance, fast. Each time its paws met the ground it was as if she could watch her life shorten.

_Move. Get on your feet. Please._

A small, insignificant voice cried somewhere in the back of her mind. Edelgard couldn’t bring herself to listen, and as the creature neared her, she saw the whites of its fangs as its lips pulled back into a snarl. She could feel the following growl stop her heart’s efforts, it would be upon her in a few seconds. 

She felt something greater than fear as she looked into those blue eyes that had stopped just short of her. It was a silence in her whole being, she had become as still as the forest. 

The wolf’s muzzle was above her head, Edelgard could smell the blood on its breath. It eventually closed its maw, and just...stared. There was so little wolfish about this creature, it defied nature with its hesitation to sink its fangs into Edelgard’s flesh. 

It then did something even more odd. It walked past her with a brush of that dark fur against her shoulder, disappearing into the forest behind Edelgard, without so much as a glance behind it.

The moments following its departure, Edelgard remained in place, her eyes locked where the wolf’s had once been. When the event finally caught up with her, she let her axe fall from her hands, letting it be replaced by her head. She sat there for a long time, feeling many different things; the most prominent being shame. 

_She had given up._

Her life, which was fully dedicated to a goal so much bigger than herself, she had surrendered in the matter of an instant. She hadn’t even made a move to raise the axe, no attempt to fight it off, she hadn’t even flinched. 

There was too much to unpack from just that circumstance alone, and she felt so very tired all of a sudden. She took in a breath to gather herself as best she was able before picking up her axe once more and picking her way back down the trail from where she had come. 

***

Edelgard made no effort to hide her foul mood the following morning. 

She had snapped at just about all of her peers, even poor Bernadetta (for that she did feel at least somewhat guilty). It wasn’t something that any of them had done personally, but she felt small and defensive after last night. She had returned to Garegg Mach just before dawn and had completely neglected the early morning training that had been scheduled for the day, so needless to say, she felt within her rights to be pissed. 

“Lady Edelgard, if I may-” 

“Skip the formalities, Hubert, what do you want?” She hissed at him, not interested in his tendency to dance around what he truly needed when talking to her. He had received the brunt of her ire throughout the day.

“Forgive me if I’m wrong, but I have the impression you left the monastery again last night.” He replied, his voice giving way to that scolding tone Edelgard had come to despise. In her first attempts of leaving during the night, she had been caught and interrogated by Hubert, who meant well but was incredibly overbearing. She had gotten better at escaping even him and had kept her hiding spot a secret enough so that even if he knew she had left, he would have difficulty tracking her down. 

This was Hubert, however, and it meant that eventually there would be a point in time in which he did manage to find her and foil her nightly outings. She could always demand that he keep his nose out of her affairs at night, but she knew that he would still find some way to talk her out of it or even just follow her in secret. She drummed her fingers against the wood of the table they were seated at in the dining hall. He sat directly across from her, making it all the easier for her to focus a burning look into his golden eye. 

“I did. What of it?” She kept her words clipped and challenging, not having enough mental strength for one of his lectures today. He let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose between gloved fingers.

“It is dangerous, Lady Edelgard. To leave the security of the monastery at such a time, alone no less, and with no one knowing of your location.” He spoke out of genuine concern, for that much Edelgard was grateful. “It troubles me that you would act so recklessly.”

She lifted her tea to her lips, savoring the warmth of it for just a moment before setting it down to respond. “I bring my axe with me, I know the area well enough. There are hardly any bandits or thieves that find a need to traverse near where I spend my time. I’m confident in my ability to defend myself if the need ever arises and in my judgement to know when to run.” Had it not been for last night those words would have been truthful, now only Edelgard knows they ring with a lie. 

Hubert looks her over, his eye seemingly boring into her own. “I’ve overheard from passing knights that there is a demonic beast running rampant in towns nearby.” 

This causes her to pause, glancing down into the teacup nestled between her fingers. A demonic beast, huh. Those words were not able to stand to represent the wolf that had sung to her beneath the moonlight. The wolves corrupted by magic exposure and the one she had seen last night had similarities in regards to appearance, but that would be the only thing to connect them. A demonic beast would have ripped Edelgard’s head clean from her shoulders once presented the opportunity. A demonic beast would not have scared her so stiff that she was rendered immobile. 

“Have you encountered such a thing?”

She met his stare again. It felt at times that he could read her easier than any novel, could pick her apart like a crow would carrion. Even though she knew Hubert would sooner end his own life before even thinking of threatening hers, it was still unnerving to say the least. 

“I’ve seen nothing of the sort.” Lying was difficult, but not impossible in regards to Hubert. Despite his appearance, he was still only a human, and he couldn’t catch everything. At least she hoped. 

There was a silent battle between them, with Hubert narrowing his gaze at her with obvious suspicion and Edelgard working to keep her expression as deadpan as physically possible. If he caught her lie there was no telling the lengths he would go to in order to keep her from leaving again. 

He gave, finally, letting out another exasperated sigh.

“I do hope you understand that I will not be able to turn a blind eye to this habit of yours forever, Lady Edelgard.” 

“I am aware, I know you mean well, Hubert.” She offered him a tired smile, the first and only of its kind all day.

The rest of evening went about as expected, Hubert not being any more lenient despite her obvious fatigue as he listed off tasks required of her from the Empire and keeping her focused. Like always, Edelgard hated every bit of the work, sorting through propositions from all manner of entitled lords across Adrestia to planning her next moves as the Flame Emperor. It was particularly difficult to keep her mind in check when it kept drifting to her own personal plans.

Edelgard was, to some great degree, prideful. She did her best to maintain the mask of absolute professionalism when conducting herself in just about any situation, it had been ingrained within her to do so. It was not often that she let that precious facade shatter and give way into a deeper layer of who she was as a person; the stubborn girl that protected her sense of dignity with everything she had. Last night that creature had made a scared child out of her, and the Edelgard that romped about outside of the monastery at night was not the same as the one she presented to everyone else. That side of her, at least, had something to prove. 

The moment her work had been finished, Edelgard fitted herself with light armor and swapped her iron axe for one made of steel. It was unlike her to be so impulsive, but then again, she had grown tired of her position dictating her every action. She weighed the axe in her palm, tossing it in the air and adjusting to the shift of having a stronger weapon than she typically wielded.

***

It wasn’t until the moon was riding high above her and the monastery far behind that Edelgard had even considered the possibility of something going wrong. She had dealt with all manner of enemies, demonic beasts among them, but she had no clear idea what she was going up against tonight. The creature she had faced before carried a different energy than the mindless, wild nature of a typical beast. This made it more unpredictable in Edelgard’s eyes and she needed to approach the situation with that in mind. 

She neared the incline where the wolf had been perched, scaling it with some effort. She hadn’t expected to find it right away, knowing that if it was the same “demonic beast” that had been terrorizing the neighboring towns that it could very well travel far beyond where Edelgard had last seen it. She had no intent on going too far from Garreg Mach, she couldn’t if she wanted to make it back before daybreak, but she also didn’t want the night to end in vain either. 

A very small part of her nipped at her thoughts, questioning the sanity of her decision to track the same beast that had terrified her so. Ironically, Edelgard knew it was something more primal and animalistic that was driving her to hunt the wolf. She wanted to prove herself. In her mind, if she couldn’t bring down a creature such as this how was she to lead an army to war? It was a test of her strength and resolve, and the girl who wandered the forest rose to meet it. 

So far there had been nothing. No sign of the creature that Edelgard had noticed, and she had been more than observant. The static of the air had dissipated from last night if that was anything to go by. She turned her attention to the ground every so often, something of that size was bound to leave behind equally large footprints. There had been a few older ones that spread across the spanse of where it had been last night, she followed them as far as she was able, only for them to stop short in the middle of a clearing before disappearing entirely. 

Her exhaustion from the day had initially been left behind at the monastery but it soon began to return with more force than before as Edelgard scoured the forest and nearby valley for this elusive beast. She was, without a doubt, going to regret this in the morning but it made her all the more determined to at least find where the wolf made its lair. If it were as smart as Edelgard was giving it credit for, it would have kept its den from being too close to any of the towns considering that the villagers would have likely driven it out by now. 

Wherever it made its home, it would have to be accomodating for the large body of the beast. If it sought higher ground perhaps it would deter humans from bothering to make the trek. With that thought in mind, Edelgard managed to locate an old path that took her a good distance up one of the mountains jutting from around the monastery. The wind bit sharply against her exposed flesh making her teeth chatter every time a gale blew through. 

There were bluffs and small caverns along the path, but nothing big enough to hold the beast within them. Maybe she had miscalculated and the creature simply ran remarkably long distances to reach the towns it had supposedly attacked. It was a possibility that Edelgard had overlooked and she felt foolish for it now. If that were the case then her whole expedition had been a waste of time and more importantly, energy. She was never going to hear the end of it from Hubert. 

As she stood, beginning to reconsider her plan, something caught Edelgard’s eye that she had failed to notice earlier; an unusual pile of stones and boulders resting against the side of the mountain. At first glance there was nothing that stood out about it, there were all manner of rocks scattering the sides of cliffs and fissures, but as Edelgard looked their placement was definitely intentional. Curious, she made her way over and, from above, gingerly lifted the topmost stone from its place. 

An entrance, one that was blocked off by the stones, was revealed. Edelgard hesitantly pulled each rock from its place, the boulders that were too heavy to move ultimately became displaced after the smaller ones supporting them had shifted and, eventually, the rest of the entrance was uncovered. The result was an opening that was easily able to accomodate the wolf she had encountered. 

She cautiously took a few steps within the cave, producing a small flame from her palm. Edelgard was never good with magic, but she had learned a few tricks from having Hubert at her side over the years, nothing that would serve her in battle but for a situation like this it was satisfactory. 

The inside of the cave was more expansive than the ones Edelgard had seen so far, but not too deep, perfect for a den. Tattered animal hides lined a wide area within the cave, the fur attached was tattered and worn down. They were also balled up in another corner of the area. Tufts of long blue fur were scattered here and there, confirming her suspicion of it being the creature’s lair. Alongside that, Edelgard made another discovery; a collection of human clothes tucked into a small nook in the side of the cave wall. 

Edelgard lifted the pieces of fabric with apprehension. Did this beast keep the clothes of its victims? It made no sense. The clothes were fully intact with no sign that they had been forcefully torn from a body. It baffled Edelgard and she would have been content to investigate more if not for the sound of a soft thud behind her. 

She turned so fast her vision began to swim, but when it cleared she could see nothing near the entrance that could have produced the sound. 

“What are you doing here?” 

A weight crashed into her body before she could even process the voice. It knocked her to the ground and the impact stole the air from her lungs. Edelgard flailed, instinctively raising the hand that held her axe only to find it held fast to the ground. When she blinked her eyes open, she was met with the cold gaze of...a woman. 

Only from the dim light that managed to protrude from the cave opening could Edelgard see the elongated, fuzz-cloaked ears that were perked up in question. Accompanying them were sharp claws that had lodged into Edelgard’s breastplate and wrapped around her wrist. Dark blue fur, the same shade as her thick hair, sprouted from the woman’s shoulders and seemed to travel in a line following her spine. White fangs poked at her chin and her eyes seemed almost iridescent. She was also scantily clothed, clad in only wraps covering her chest and black shorts for modesty.  
Edelgard stared at her in bafflement, her gaze was returned with one that was passive and empty, letting no emotion slip through. 

“I let you go once.” The woman spoke, her voice just as unrevealing as her countenance. The implications behind her words, however, sent a chill down Edelgard’s spine. Realization settled in as Edelgard put the pieces together. 

“Werewolf.” She whispered, breathless. 

Werewolves were an interesting topic to say the least. Some believed they existed, others were skeptical. It wasn’t so far out as to be impossible, after all humans could turn into demonic beasts under the right circumstances, but the idea that there was a race with the ability to shapeshift at will was a stretch by many scholars’ standards. Turning into something, well that was one thing, to be able to do it repeatedly was where questions were raised. 

But Edelgard couldn’t deny what was right in front of her, or rather, what was perched on her chest. 

“Why are you here?” The werewolf asked once more, this time accenting the question with the tightening of her grip on Edelgard’s wrist. She winced as claws pricked her skin and tiny beads of her blood formed in response. 

“I…” There was no way she could just- “I came here to kill you.” 

_Maybe I do have a death wish._

The words had slipped from her mouth casually without so much as a drop of remorse. Her tongue had acted of its own will, that will apparently being to end her life as swiftly as possible. Her body had been betraying her rather often lately, perhaps she should look into that. 

There was a flicker of something across the werewolf’s gaze, her eyebrows lifted in surprise. 

“Oh.”

She looked away then, at Edelgard’s axe, her armor and then back at her face. 

“You won’t be able to.” 

That was most definitely not the response Edelgard had been expecting, although she wasn’t sure what to expect anymore. The sudden, horrid sound of claws against metal filled the cave. Edelgard gritted her teeth in response and even the werewolf seemed displeased, her ears flicking back. With a strong tug, she pulled her claws from Edelgard’s chestplate, looking them over for any damage. 

“Why did you attack me last night?” Edelgard questioned incredulously, her tone reflecting the confusion she felt. 

“I would hardly call it an ‘attack’,” the woman responded, glancing over her claws once more before placing her hand back on Edelgard’s ruined armor to balance herself. “But you were the one who grabbed the axe.” 

“I have an axe _now_ , and as I’ve already stated, I’m prepared to end your life.” Her brow furrowed, it was stupid to keep repeating that fact but if it hadn’t evoked a response the first time she wasn’t sure it would if she said it again. 

“You don’t want to kill me.” The werewolf blinked down at her, tilting her head to one side. Edelgard huffed at that, her irritation growing.

“Why else would I be here?” She snapped, trying again in vain to lift the arm that was not pinned underneath her own body. 

“I don’t know, but…” she trailed off as if in thought, her eyes flicking to Edelgard’s axe. “I’ve seen humans who have wanted me dead, they scream and struggle. They don’t have a fear-scent cling to them the way you do.” 

Edelgard blanched at that, for once she had no words. It was then that she risked a glance down at the hand held by the werewolf’s. It was trembling in her grip. 

She hated the concept of fear, what it did to her. She was a person who strove to shove such an emotion to the back of her mind, it had been that way since she was young. It wasn’t as if Edelgard didn’t have things she was afraid of, but the ability to push past them was, in her opinion, what seperated weakness from strength.

She had been weak last night.

The werewolf sat up, easing the axe from Edelgard’s hand and sitting back on her haunches, watching to see what she would do. 

Edelgard moved to sit as well, rubbing the arm that had been underneath her.  
“You’re the one that’s been attacking the nearby villages, I can assume?” She asked without looking up.

“I take cattle from time to time, I startle the villagers when I do. They aren’t fond of me.” 

The werewolf ran a claw along the hilt of her axe, it made Edelgard’s pulse spike. She had let herself be disarmed knowing the woman wouldn’t have let her up otherwise, it was another thing to add on to the long list of foolish things she had done tonight but leaving herself defenseless was perhaps the stupidest. 

As if on cue, the werewolf slid closer to her, making the hairs on the back of Edelgard’s neck rise. She reached and grabbed Edelgard’s injured wrist, running her tongue along the small wounds she had left behind. Edelgard yanked her hand away and looked at the werewolf wide-eyed. 

“What are you doing?” Edelgard hissed at her, less of a question and more of a demand.

The werewolf blinked at her owlishly before opening her mouth to respond. “I wanted to clean it.” 

This night had taken so many strange turns already, Edelgard’s tired mind had been pushed to its limit long ago. She slumped against the cave wall, looking over at the werewolf, knowing the exhaustion was printed on her face. The princess rotated her arm to look at the wounds, they were deeper than she had thought initially. She looked over at the werewolf skeptically before shakily holding her wrist out once more in a silent invitation, focusing on a spot outside of the cave. She heard the faint movement of the werewolf inching closer, and then felt her warm tongue against her skin.

“What’s your name?” Edelgard asked, still keeping her face turned away. The licking at her wrist paused for a moment and she could feel a stare burning away at the back of her head. 

“Byleth Eisner,” she murmured before continuing. The feeling was...strange, Edelgard had never been _licked_ before. It wasn’t unpleasant but it wasn’t something she wanted to get used to. 

“Edelgard von Hresvelg,” she said her name with some hesitance, turning to gauge werewolf’s reaction. There was none, Byleth just continued to lap at her skin. 

“How long are you going to be doing that?” She asked, too tired to be flippant. Byleth looked at her, then back down at her wrist before letting it fall back into Edelgard’s lap. The werewolf turned behind her and gripped her axe with one hand, moving back to face her, she placed it into Edelgard’s palm.

“It’s nice to meet you, Edelgard.” The way Byleth spoke was slow, intentional. It was if she only had a few words to spare and needed to make them last. Her face was pale and truly unexpressive to the point of being nearly unsettling. This was counteracted by her eyes, which seemed to hold glimmers of whatever she was feeling. It made Edelgard question if she was the same creature that had charged her the night before. 

She rose to her full height, dusting herself free of dirt and dust with her free hand. Her axe felt heavy, as did her body. It would be one hell of a trek back to the monastery. Some part of her didn’t want to leave, still growled at her to at least challenge the werewolf, but said creature was staring up at her with big eyes that seemed far too wide for something meant to be dangerous.

“I’ll leave you be for now,” Edelgard spoke with that authoritative voice she used when addressing her peers. She was hiding her retreat behind big words, the way that she had seen so many of the commanders she’d fought do. She thought for a moment, looking the werewolf over. “If you leave the townspeople alone, I’ll bring you meat from the monastery.” 

Byleth’s face remained stoic but Edelgard didn’t miss the way her ears perked higher. “I’d like that.” 

“Good. I’ll be back within the next few nights, I trust you’ll manage until then?” She asked, unsure of how a werewolf’s appetite worked. Byleth gave her a single nod. It was all the confirmation Edelgard needed before hoisting her axe over her shoulder and making her way back to Garegg Mach.

***

Edelgard was dead on her feet the next day although she made a grand effort of not letting it show. She managed to make it through the day without giving in to the threat of sleep, thankfully. When Hubert came across the claw shaped tracks that had been scored through her armor, Edelgard was sure a few years had been knocked off his lifespan judging by his reaction. She knew that it would become exponentially more difficult to leave during the nights if he got involved, and not to mention what would happen if he found out about Byleth. 

The majority of the evening was spent arguing back and forth with her retainer over the matter of her behavior during the night, and trying to convince him that she wasn’t in need of his worry. Hubert, by all accounts, was just as stubborn as Edelgard, maybe even moreso. Edelgard had raised her voice far louder than she had in a long while that night, subsequently eating away at the energy she didn’t have. Eventually, she ended up dismissing Hubert from her room entirely, collapsing onto her bed the moment the door had shut behind him. 

It wasn’t often that she felt the need to quarrel with him, mostly they shared the same process of logic and Hubert understood her better than anyone else that she had come to know. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of guilt fall over her in his absence. He was right, he always seemed to be in some way, Edelgard was acting so strangely irrational lately it was no wonder that he had grown concerned. 

She couldn’t dwell on it, however, as her mind still drifted to a certain werewolf in the mountain. If it had been anyone else, Edelgard was sure that they would have reported the incident to the knights and let them handle it from there. However, reporting Byleth meant having to reveal that she had been sneaking out. Not good. In any case, she didn’t know the full extent of the damage Byleth had actually done to the towns, Hubert’s description of her “running rampant” wasn’t very telling and the werewolf had every reason to lie. She could ask around for details, but it would look suspicious on her part to be investigating something that hadn’t been announced to other students yet. 

Hubert must’ve been eavesdropping on knights in order to learn about the werewolf in the first place. If Byleth had truly only been stealing cattle...then Edelgard could rectify that. There was something about her that made Edelgard feel as if she was telling the truth, especially considering that she had let Edelgard go after having found her lair; which was incredibly puzzling in of itself. Maybe the werewolf was just incautious, or she was scheming something. Edelgard wasn’t sure if she believed the latter, there was a weird sort of tenderness Byleth had when dealing with her despite them only having just met. 

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. The stress of keeping tabs on a supernatural creature, keeping up her ruse as an academy student, and still having to fulfill her responsibilities as a princess were a wretched combination. At least she would be able to sleep tonight. Nightmares or not, she was exhausted.

***

It took two days for Edelgard to finally find her way back to the mountains again. A part of her was set on giving up her nightly schemes and telling the knights of Byleth’s location and letting that be the end of it, and another told her it wasn’t worth the trouble. It was obvious which side won out. 

She had wrapped an obnoxious amount of venison into spare cloth and shoved it into a sack that hung at her waist. Edelgard was rightfully worried that the scent could attract other creatures and had ended up fighting off a trio of coyotes on her way through to the mountain. She was sporting repaired armor and a reinforced steel axe so she was able to slay anything that attacked her. Although, she wasn’t armed for the sake of fighting off these particular creatures…

Edelgard followed the trail that led past Byleth’s hideout, finding the stones that covered the entrance replaced the way they had been before she left. She let out a sigh and began the slow and tedious process of removing each obstacle, making just enough room for her to slide into the entrance. 

“Byleth?” Edelgard called into the darkness, her eyes adjusted to the dark rather quickly and she took a few trepidatious steps into the lair, her eyes seeking out the werewolf’s form. There was nothing as far as she could see, and her heart slowed with that realization. Maybe she was out? Or maybe it was a ruse of some kind. She unhooked the sack from her hip and placed it against a wall alongside her axe as she made her way over to the makeshift bed in the corner. 

Edelgard sifted through the hides balled in the corner out of curiosity, unsure of what she was looking for. Her hand jerked back at the sudden feeling of metal. She reached out after a moment, her hand wrapping around the hilt of a lance that had been concealed underneath. Edelgard tilted the object so the scarce light illuminated it better. 

The tip of the weapon was rusted away with time, but there were undeniably blood stains scattered across the blade that seemed to meld in with the metal. It made Edelgard wince and drop the lance against the ground. What use would a werewolf have for a lance? It made Edelgard wary. She had likely killed with this thing. How recently, Edelgard didn’t know.

“It was my father’s. I assume you were wondering.” 

The sound of the back of Edelgard’s hand making contact with the werewolf’s face echoed through the cave. 

“Ah, sorry! It was reflexive.” Edelgard knew immediately from the sound of her voice who it was that she had hit, and turned the rest of her body to see Byleth cowering a few steps away, clutching the side of her face where she had been struck. 

“It’s fine. Nice backhand, though.” Byleth grunted out, although Edelgard heard the subtle whimper that escaped alongside the words. Her ears were pressed backwards as she peered up at the princess. Edelgard shifted closer, taking in the damage, wincing as she saw the edge of the angry red mark not covered by Byleth’s hand. 

“It’s partially your own fault for sneaking up on me. Why didn’t you tell me you were here first?” 

“I...live here alone? I don’t usually call out into normally empty spaces.” 

That made more sense than what Edelgard would have liked it to. She sighed, crossing her arms to look the werewolf over. She was wearing more proper clothing this time, to Edelgard’s surprise, and looked more put together than she had when they last met. The werewolf shed the jacket that covered most of her and tossed it into a corner without looking to see where it landed

She took the lance from Edelgard with a deft motion, bordering on snatching, and moved past her to bury it underneath the furs. 

“You, um, lived here with your father?” Edelgard inquired, somewhat awkwardly, she hadn’t meant to trifle with Byleth’s belongings, few as they were. The question made Byleth freeze, the tip of her tail being the only sign of acknowledgement. 

“No. We traveled in a mercenary company.” Her voice was neutral, but her body language implied that it was forced. She glanced over her shoulder at Edelgard, that blank stare meeting her own. “He died a few months ago.” 

_Oh._

She suddenly felt ten times worse and gripped her arm harder. Edelgard knew of loss, she had to watch her siblings die before her and even now her own father was withering away. The pain never truly leaves, only dulls with time.

“I’m sorry.” She apologized for the second time that night, not sure of what else she could say. 

“Don’t worry about it. He’d been preparing me for his death nearly all of his life.” Byleth stood back to her full height and looked down at Edelgard. Her tongue ran over her fangs and her eyes held something Edelgard could only describe as predatory. It made her skin crawl and she took a step back while letting her hand slowly trail down to the dagger she always kept on her person. 

“I held up my end of our deal.” Byleth said, looking eagerly over at the sack resting against the wall. 

“R-Right,” Edelgard replied, letting out a soft breath of relief. She just wanted the food. “I hope you don’t mind deer.” She strode over to the wall and rummaged through the fabric until she found purchase on the seared venison. She wasn’t sure if werewolves ate their food raw, so she had to cook it herself, which was a task that had ended with it being half-charred. 

She offered the hunk of flesh to Byleth with a sympathetic look. “It might not taste the best.” She muttered.

Before the words had fully left her lips, the werewolf had snatched the prize from her hands and retreated to the darkest part of the cave. Edelgard could see her eyes gleam in the dark and heard the disturbing sounds of her crunching through bone. 

Byleth made quick work of the meal. From where she sat, Edelgard could see the way her fangs pierced through flesh and how her claws gripped her prey. It reminded her of, well, a wild animal. 

When she had finished, Edelgard saw her gaze back at her thoughtfully. 

“You’re scared of me.” 

Edelgard swallowed thickly at the accusation and pressed herself against the wall. She didn’t respond, she knew well enough that the werewolf’s senses had led her to that conclusion and denying it was pointless. Byleth uncoiled and padded over to the princess, poking the border of Edelgard’s personal space before crouching down to meet her eye. 

“You don’t have to be. I don’t want to hurt you.” 

_Saying it with that face isn’t helping_

“You just don’t have a reason to yet.” Edelgard murmurs, playing with a loose thread on her shorts. The edge of Byleth’s mouth twitches, it's the closest she’s seen her to a smile. 

“So threatening my life and slapping me wouldn’t be enough?” 

“Apparently not. Why does it matter to you anyway?” Edelgard shifted where she sat, her eyes flicking to and from the axe at her side.

“It’s lonely here. I like talking to you.” The werewolf was gazing at her with an expression that reminded Edelgard of the dogs at the monastery when they begged for attention, in fact, the resemblance was uncanny. “I hoped that maybe you could grow to like talking to me too.” 

Edelgard’s brow furrowed in apprehension. 

“Why didn’t you stay with your mercenary company then?” 

Byleth’s face hardened, her lips pressing together. “They didn’t take very kindly to werewolves. Without my father, there was nothing stopping them from driving me out.”

There was a pause filled with a silence that made Edelgard consider what it must have been like. She and this werewolf had more in common than she wanted to believe, she would have pitied her under different circumstances.

“So, you want me to spend time with you. Is that all?” She asked, cupping her chin in thought. Byleth nodded once, her face was still as emotionless as ever but, she was definitely pleading with her eyes.

“Why are you trusting me? I could easily report you to the Knights of Seiros and while you may be able to kill me, I can’t imagine you leaving from a battle with them in one piece.” 

Byleth cocked her head. “I didn’t think of that.”

Edelgard is taken aback by this, and stared at Byleth with her mouth slightly agape. The werewolf hung her head slightly and her tail curled around her legs sheepishly.

“How could you not take that into consideration?” She asked, her voice rising an octave. 

“You’re very pretty. It’s disarming.” 

Edelgard felt her ears burn before she had even fully processed the statement. The ease with which Byleth had spoken was as if she were talking about the weather, and there was no indication that she was being anything less than sincere. 

“You...You are absolutely ridiculous.” Edelgard shook her head, mostly to distract herself from the fact that the werewolf had called her ‘pretty’. She sighed, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

“I suppose there’s no harm in me keeping an eye on you.” 

Byleth’s response was instant, her tail swept behind her, raising in what looked like surprise. She leaned forward, placing her hands on Edelgard’s knees as she glanced up at the princess. “Really?” 

The sudden contact made Edelgard recoil, her hand grabbed for the axe at her side. Byleth noticed and jumped back, a soft snarl of her own reverberating in her throat. The light mood had fled, in its place was a tension similar to the night Edelgard had first seen the werewolf. They both stayed like that for what felt like hours on Edelgard’s end; a fire was alight in Byleth’s eyes and Edelgard felt her heart roar in protest to being in the presence of something so lethal. 

The werewolf was the first to back down, letting the rumble within her die out. Edelgard still held onto her axe, ignoring the way she had instinctively curled in on herself. 

“I’m sorry.” Byleth was the one apologizing now, a look of sympathy crossed her face. It may have been the only emotion she had openly shown. 

Edelgard held her gaze for a moment longer, searching her posture for anything that gave away any remaining hostility. She then let her axe clatter to the ground but eyed Byleth warily. 

“You startled me, but the fault doesn’t lie entirely with you.” The princess shifted against the wall, she didn’t realize just how much she had pressed against it. They both had survival instincts, which seemed to pit them against each other the moment things started moving too fast. Edelgard was unsure if she would be able to be the company Byleth craved, especially if her body screamed at her to fight every time the werewolf got too close. Byleth seemed to be considering this as well, and she sat back running a hand through her hair. She looked at the ground and allowed one of her claws to drag against it.

“This might work better if you got used to touching me.”

_What?_

Edelgard looked at her quizzically, unsure of what exactly the werewolf was impling. Surely she didn’t mean...

“I’m not a dog, but maybe if you pet me you’ll feel more at ease.” 

“Pet you? That’s...a strange request, Byleth.” 

“Is it this form that bothers you? In that case,” The werewolf stood to her full height and began to peel away the layers of her clothes. Edelgard cleared her throat and whipped her head away from the sight, a flare running across her face. From the peripherals of her vision she saw a burst of light that felt different from the magic she was accustomed to. When she looked back, the werewolf was towering above her having transformed into a wolf fully. 

Edelgard wanted to shout that this, in fact, made her feel worse but Byleth lowered herself to the ground and looked at her expectantly. She had stilled so much it was if she weren’t even breathing, only those blue eyes indicated she hadn’t been frozen in time. The werewolf was so much larger than herself, it was naturally intimidating, but when she laid on the ground like this it was easier to cope with. There was a distinct difference between Byleth and the creature she had met last full moon, at least that’s what the princess tried to convince herself of as she reached out a shaking hand to stroke the werewolf’s head. 

Her fur was soft, yet incredibly thick. The texture was different from that coarse hair of the dogs she had pet before, it was surprisingly pleasant to the touch. Edelgard shifted closer and ran her both hands down Byleth’s back; her fur only increased in length and volume as Edelgard swept her hands downwards. The action became natural soon enough as she continued. 

Byleth raised her head after a few moments, she had been rather tense underneath Edelgard’s touch, and turned her head to look at the princess better. In a swift motion, she rolled onto her back, tucking her front paws to her chest. She looked at her with that same deadpan expression but Edelgard understood the gesture well enough. She let out a soft huff of amusement before trailing her hands across the werewolf’s stomach. It wasn’t long before she heard Byleth’s tail skidding along the cave floor, leaving clouds of dust in its wake. 

She really was just a big dog, despite what she had protested earlier. 

The thought gave Edelgard an idea as she positioned herself above Byleth’s head, she could feel more than hear the whine the werewolf let out at the loss of contact. It took a moment for her to slide her hand between the wolf’s head and the ground, but once she did she managed to scratch directly behind her ear. 

Byleth’s leg twitched as if she were fighting the urge to kick it, but under Edelgard’s insistent hand she finally caved and let her hind leg bat at the air. Her maw parted into a toothy grin as Edelgard rubbed at the base of her throat, the sight was too much for the princess and she burst into a fit of light laughter. 

The werewolf’s movement stopped, and she stared at Edelgard with her head tilted. Edelgard let her voice die out as she returned the werewolf’s stare.

“What?” Edelgard asked, as if Byleth could respond. There was a silence that followed, with the werewolf just looking at her strangely. She flipped back onto her stomach yet kept her position on the ground. She bumped her head against Edelgard gently and before the princess could wonder what had come over her she felt the warm, wet, _disgusting_ tongue of the wolf run across her face. 

“ _Byleth_!”

Edelgard was drenched in werewolf slobber from her hairline to her chin, thankfully she had the time to close her mouth and eyes otherwise...she’d rather not think of it. She rubbed her face on the sleeve of her clothes, which only succeeded in getting them damp. The guilty party had lept away and was watching her, amusement sparkling behind the cornflower blue irises from where she crouched. The sound of her tail thumping against the ground implying she was enjoying herself far too much. 

Edelgard glared at her in half-seriousness, it was hard to be upset with her for long. The werewolf inched closer to the clothes she had discarded earlier and Edelgard saw the same blue light envelop her as she shifted back into her more human form. She busied herself with wiping as much of Byleth’s saliva from her face as possible while the werewolf changed back into her clothes. 

“You are repulsive,” Edelgard muttered without looking at her, biting back a smile. She felt the werewolf settle into the spot next to her although she kept her distance.

“I can’t say I’m sorry about that,” she replied. Edelgard turned so she was facing the werewolf and was shocked to find a smile plastered to her features. 

“You’re smiling.”

“You were laughing.”

Time seemed to pass quickly as she spent the night with Byleth, her tension melted away with the hours and she found herself being drawn in closer to the werewolf. Her fear still buzzed in the back of her mind when her fangs caught in the moonlight but it was easily ignored in favor of her voice. Edelgard didn’t have words for the strange mixture of restlessness and calm she felt around Byleth, she decided it didn’t need to be named or placed, rather she just let herself feel whatever it was her body wanted. 

She was taken aback when she finally noticed the sky beginning to bloom into dull colors. It was an unwelcome intrusion, she noted, as it meant she had to leave. The realization that she didn’t want to was even more startling. Byleth caught on to her change in mood and rolled herself onto her feet. 

“I guess it’s time for you to be going back, right?” She offered her hand to Edelgard, which the princess took, feeling the warmth of her palm and the gentle curve where her claw met skin.

“Unfortunately,” she sighed. “My responsibilities are far less appealing than you are.”

Byleth’s lips twisted into a simper. “I’m glad you find me appealing.”

Edelgard regretted her wording following Byleth’s response, she hadn’t meant it like _that_. Or, at least she didn’t think she had. It was a complicated emotion, what she felt about the werewolf. Nevertheless, a heat knotted in her abdomen at Byleth’s expression and the undercurrent her words held. She gathered her axe loosely in one hand. She made sure to keep her movements slow and deliberate and watched Byleth out of her peripheral. The werewolf seemed unphased and brushed by her, clambering over the remaining rocks to exit the cave. 

Edelgard followed suit, albeit with even less grace. Byleth offered her hand to Edelgard once more, tugging her halfway out of the cave’s entrance and into a gentle embrace. The princess flushed as Byleth’s arms wrapped around her, she felt a soft growl in the werewolf’s throat, although it was far from threatening. 

“You promise you’ll come back, right?” 

Edelgard was surprised at the sudden desperation in her tone. She couldn’t fathom being alone for as long as Byleth likely had. She offered the werewolf a sympathetic pat.

“I said I would, didn’t I?” she replied with a chuckle escaping her, “I promise I’ll be back soon.” 

At this, Byleth pulled her head away and looked Edelgard over. She then moved back, planting a chaste kiss to Edelgard’s lips, before releasing her and trotting in the opposite direction of the princess’s path. She left Edelgard with a wave of her hand, and a ‘see you’. Unbeknownst to her, Edelgard was standing deathly still with her face rivaling the petals of any rose. 

***

After that, Edelgard ventured out to Byleth’s den any night she could find the energy to escape, sometimes even when she couldn’t. She discovered that, despite any reservations she had in the beginning, that she was happiest when she was at her side. Gradually their nights took them out of the mountains, Byleth leading her to the most scenic areas around the monastery, places Edelgard would have never managed to find on her own. 

Byleth was powerful enough to carry Edelgard atop her back where the princess clung to her fur for dear life while the werewolf bounded along, her eyes shining with unheard laughter. She’d never let Edelgard fall. 

She found herself feeling something more than a desire for friendship with the werewolf. It was in the way her heart squeezed and ached when she thought of Byleth, or the way she couldn’t help but break into a smile when she saw her each night. Byleth never made any further advances towards her after having stolen away her first kiss unknowingly, actually she never acknowledged it. That infuriated Edelgard to no end; the werewolf had the audacity to kiss her once and then never again. It left her wanting, craving those lips against hers and she had too much pride to ask for it. She found that no matter how innocent the conversation or activity, there was always a strong desire to touch her in ways not even remotely friendly. 

Edelgard learned, as Byleth had explained, that on full moons werewolves were in fact affected by the moonlight. ‘We become more animalistic’, she had said while Edelgard combed through her hair with delicate fingers. ‘It would be dangerous for you.’ 

As such, there was always one night each month in which Edelgard would not be allowed near her, as per the werewolf’s warning. It wasn’t as if she spent every night by Byleth’s side, but the idea that no matter how much she wanted she wouldn’t be able to pierced her deeper than she could ever let the werewolf know. 

There came a night, however, in which Edelgard found herself disregarding that warning. 

She had awoken in a cold sweat, her voice raw from the screams that were the product of her nightmares. She sat up shivering with fear, her breathing labored and thick. Her head spun with the remnants of sleep as she slid from underneath her sheets. She never slept on nights like these. There was no comfort to be had in the monastery, no one she could feel safe enough to go to. Hubert’s dorm was next to hers, she knew that he had likely heard her. But she also knew, even if he didn’t outright state it, that he hated seeing her in such a vulnerable state. It wasn’t becoming of Adestria’s future Emperor, and at times it felt like that’s all she was to him. Going to professor Manuela was always an option, the woman was surprisingly understanding and kind, but it meant having to open up to her in ways Edelgard only ever did with one person. 

She didn’t need to be outside to know a full moon was riding high overhead, it was one of those rare nights she couldn’t run to Byleth. Edelgard didn’t want to stay in the monastery either, just because she couldn’t go to her werewolf didn’t mean she couldn’t leave, right? 

It didn’t take her long to slip the perimeter of Garegg Mach, her heart had calmed with the familiar actions but she couldn’t help but have a sense of deja vu as she crossed subconsciously onto the path she had walked so many times by now. She had to remind herself that she wasn’t allowed to go to Byleth’s lair this time, it made her chest clench with an uncomfortable emotion. She wanted nothing more than to be curled next to her in the cave she had found so much love in. 

Edelgard stalked along the path until she came to a fork within it that led into a deeper part of the surrounding forest. Byleth had run through here many times, enough so that even Edelgard, who usually buried her face against the werewolf’s neck while she sprinted, knew how to navigate it. She picked her way across the familiar terrain, letting her mind float on autopilot. 

A snapping of twigs quickly tore her attention away from her wandering thoughts. 

She drew her axe in a deft motion and felt a spark of adrenaline pulse through her. The sound came to her again, closer this time and accompanied by a snarl that sent goosebumps across her arms. It was too deep, too loud for any normal creature. She readied herself as much as she was able, assuming a combative stance she had been perfecting over the months. 

There wasn’t much in this forest that scared her anymore. 

The gleam of red eyes peered at her from a distance, they were larger than Edelgard had seen on any animal. Save for one. 

The werewolf crept out into the clearing, its red fur almost glowing in the light. It was devilish in appearance, crimson from head to tail. Its lips were peeled back in a horrible grin and its fangs clipped together, creating a noise that grated against the princess’s ears. 

Edelgard spun her axe in a flourish that meant she wasn’t going anywhere. There wasn’t much she knew about werewolves in terms of combat ability. The only one she had known hadn’t ever given the opportunity to learn, but the paralyzing fear she had felt the last time she had encountered a werewolf had dissipated. She made a mental note to thank Byleth if she got out of this alive. 

The werewolf began to circle her. Its steps were steady, calculating. It was a creature with the strength of a beast and the cunning of a human, that was what made it so incredibly dangerous. Edelgard mimicked it, keeping the distance between them the same as they began a slow, deadly dance. 

It snapped its jaws at her. Edelgard responded by purposefully slamming her axe against a nearby boulder. This was a completely uneven fight, but she didn’t care about her odds. She wanted to live, and that will poured into every ounce of her being. 

When its paws came to a stop, Edelgard knew it was done playing with her. 

There was only a second of hesitation before it leapt at her, teeth parting and a growl shaking her world. She was quick, dodging out of the way and landing a swing at the side of its head. Her axe met fur, then skin, then flesh before it managed to spring away. 

It recovered so fast it was if she hadn’t even damaged it. The werewolf dove towards her once more, Edelgard dodging again, but this time it anticipated her movements and she felt it use its momentum to twist and attack her from a new angle. She couldn’t escape that one, but managed to wedge her axe between it’s parted lips before it could take a bite out of her. 

The werewolf pushed her backwards until her back was flush against the trunk of a tree. It took more strength than Edelgard knew she possessed to keep the axe between its teeth. She didn’t have much time like this, and the sound of creaking metal announced her inevitable demise. It was going to break her axe and kill her. 

She glared at the beast, its scarlet eyes alight with a wicked humor. It was unfortunate, but she took some comfort in the fact that she would die fighting. That much, at least, she was grateful for. 

Edelgard saw the metal of her axe bend in on itself. She was out of time. 

The sound that followed wasn’t much of a growl or snarl, but something more like a roar. A flash of blue appeared in the corner of her vision and the werewolf noticed it far too late. It was sent sprawling into the earth ungracefully.

Byleth stood there, a gutteral sound exploding from her throat as before she sank her fangs into the other werewolf’s side. The werewolf whimpered as Byleth leapt back, crimson staining her muzzle in the form of fur and blood. Edelgard had never seen her so upset, she was more a monster than the creature that had been trying to kill her mere moments before. 

There wasn’t much the princess could do weaponless so she watched in awe as Byleth struck the werewolf again, and again. She was larger and faster than her opponent, though that did nothing to deter it from rearing back and lashing out at her. The two werewolves battled violently, it was a flurry of teeth, fur, and claws. 

The scarlet wolf never stood a chance. 

By the time it was retreating, tail between its legs, Byleth was nearly untouched. Her werewolf let out a final, threatening snarl, raising her tail high in a show of dominance. When she finally turned to face Edelgard, she saw Byleth’s eyes void of any human emotion. She stepped closer to where Edelgard was pressed against the tree, and let out a soft growl before nudging her head against her side. Edelgard wrapped her arms around Byleth’s neck, hiding her face in her fur. 

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled out, her voice was muffled but she knew Byleth heard. Her knees wobbled with the loss of adrenaline and soon Byleth was the only thing supporting her. 

She managed to find the strength to climb onto the werewolf’s back, letting herself be carried away to the safety of Byleth’s den. 

Once they had gotten themselves settled inside, Byleth shifted back into her humanoid form, throwing on her typical shorts and a baggy shirt. She fixed Edelgard with a pointed glare, and a snarl that wasn’t of the friendly sort. 

“What were you doing outside of the monastery?” she began, her voice now filled with an unorthodox anger. “I told you to stay away tonight.”

Edelgard gripped her arm tightly, unused to being scolded by her. “I...I didn’t know there were others,” came her meek response. 

“There are,” Byleth snapped, coming to stand before the princess. “I thought that much was obvious.” 

“I already apologized, I just...I didn’t know what else to do.” Edelgard admitted, refusing to look up at the werewolf. “I had a nightmare and couldn’t sleep. I figured if I couldn’t be with you, then at least I’d be able to go out and clear my head.” 

At this Byleth’s growling stopped, and Edelgard finally chanced a glance up at her. There was concern set in her features and she let out a sigh. She wrapped Edelgard in a tight embrace, running a hand up her spine. She felt Byleth’s head thump against her shoulder.

“I promise I won’t-- _ah_!” Edelgard yelped as she felt sharp teeth breaking her skin and drawing warm blood. Her grip tightened on Byleth’s shirt in response, confused but accepting of whatever the werewolf was doing. 

Byleth shoved her backwards against the wall of the cave, the snarl building back in her throat, this time louder and more aggressive. Her hands fell to Edelgard’s hips and her claws dug into the fabric of her shorts. The werewolf ran her tongue over the spot where her fangs had pierced the princess, before moving to trap Edelgard’s lips in a kiss she had been wanting for months. 

Edelgard cursed herself for the moan she let out, but before she could deepen the kiss, Byleth sprang away. She looked at Edelgard with wide eyes and drops of blood still staining her exposed fangs. Edelgard stood against the wall, panting as her heart tried to leap from her chest. She wasn’t sure how she looked but she had an idea if the heat flooding her face was anything to go by. 

“By-Byleth?” she asked, her voice coming out huskier than intended. “What-”

“You’ve got to get back to the monastery.” The werewolf had straightened back up, her posture tense and wary. “I’ll walk you as far as I’m able.” 

Edelgard noticed the way her eyes flitted downwards as she spoke, as if she were struggling to keep her eyes on the princess’s. Her tongue ran a trail across her fangs, but she shook her head before starting towards the den’s entrance. 

“Don’t,” Edelgard commanded, stepping forward to grab hold of her sleeve. “Tell me why you...why did you bite me?” 

Byleth looked back at her with a conflicted expression as she shifted where she stood. 

“I...I’ve wanted you for a long time, El. I don’t think this moonlight’s going to let me hold myself back any longer if you stay.” 

She spoke with an intensity that was a far cry from her usual relaxed demeanor. The way her gaze raked over Edelgard was nothing short of possessive and her body responded with shots of heat that started in her chest and settled in between her legs.

Then just as quickly as it had come, the predatory look was gone. She gripped Edelgard’s shoulders lightly and tilted her head to one side. “I’m a danger to your, um, virginity.”

Edelgard sputtered for a moment before being able to respond. “H-How do you even _know_ I’m-”

“I can smell it.” 

“That’s ridiculous!”

Edelgard swears she’s never blushed nearly as much as she had after Byleth called her out. She was _right_ but it didn’t make it any less humiliating. It did, however, give her an idea. She forced herself to meet the werewolf’s eye. 

“What else can you smell on me, Byleth?” She couldn’t keep her voice steady but managed to get the words out coherently. The werewolf’s brows furrowed and she looked down, directly at Edelgard’s thighs that were pressed together where she stood. 

“El…”

Edelgard tugged her down into a heated kiss. It was rough, Byleth’s fangs caught on her lip and she could feel the werewolf’s hum of approval. When they pulled apart it was for air and it was clear she had torn through the last of Byleth’s restraint. 

The werewolf nipped at her neck and collarbone, leaving the impressions of her teeth on Edelgard’s skin. She guided Edelgard to the ground with her hand pressed firmly to the small of her back. As she continued, Edelgard could practically see a repressed desire come over her. It was hard to explain the concoction of excitement and nervousness she felt watching Byleth give into her instincts. 

“ _Mine_.” 

The word captured Edelgard’s attention, it was uttered so low she had hardly heard it. It was embarrassing how the single word stoked her arousal. Byleth’s leg nudged at her knees, and with some self-consciousness, the princess let her slide one of her thighs in between her own. 

It was obvious from the way that she was growling that Edelgard’s clothes were becoming a problem for Byleth. Her claws were snapping threads through her shirt where a small patch of skin was exposed at her chest. 

“It’s okay, just let me…” Edelgard whispered, stroking Byleth’s hair before sitting up to slip her shirt and cape off. She had never been so exposed to another before, but the warmth of Byleth’s body pressed against her own was reassuring. Scars lined her torso from all manner of injuries and she would have covered herself if Byleth didn’t pin her hands above her head. 

She lovingly kissed over as many of the marks as she could see, running her spare hand over Edelgard’s chest. A gasp tugged itself from her lips as she felt Byleth roam over the sensitive area and she was sure the werewolf could either hear or feel how fast her heart was racing. 

Byleth experimentally rolled a nipple between her fingers, her ears perking when Edelgard let out a loud moan at the gesture. Color washed over the princess’s face as a sinister smirk fit easily into place on the werewolf’s countenance. Byleth released her wrists in favor of using the hand to grope her other breast while her other hand continued the ministration until Edelgard was whimpering underneath her. 

The heat pooling in Edelgard’s sex was becoming difficult to ignore, and she found herself lifting her hips to grind against Byleth’s thigh while balling her fists in the werewolf’s shirt. She laughed at this teasingly, and if she weren’t so turned on Edelgard would have hit her for it. 

“Aw. You’re cute when you’re horny.”

“Shut _up_ , Eisner.” 

The werewolf complied, putting her mouth to better use against Edelgard’s chest. She kissed down the valley between her breasts before latching onto one of the princess’s peaked nipples. Edelgard bit down hard on her bottom lip, the sensation made her breath come out short. A part of her was worried about Byleth’s fangs but she soon realized that, despite her eagerness, she was being incredibly gentle. 

Edelgard arched her back against her mouth, groaning when she could feel Byleth smile against her skin. The lewd sounds falling from her mouth were amplified by the cave’s high ceiling, and it was awful to hear her own lust-filled voice. Byleth, however, seemed to enjoy the noises her lover was making. Edelgard could see the blur of her tail wagging; it was endearing despite their current position. 

Eventually, Byleth let one of her hands wander down to the edge of Edelgard’s shorts. She pawed at the fabric for a moment before sliding her hand within, tracing shapes along the princess’s inner thigh. Edelgard felt her breath hitch when Byleth’s claw snagged on her undergarments, which had been soaked through. The werewolf felt her through the fabric, letting out another snicker when Edelgard bucked forward and into her touch. 

“You’re so wet for me, El.” She purred against the shell of the princess’s ear. Despite the playfulness she could hear in Byleth’s voice she could also detect an undertone of neediness that was poorly restrained. She was affected by the situation as much as Edelgard was and the notion made her smile. Edelgard leaned up to press her lips against her werewolf’s. She felt embarrassed with herself being laid bare for the werewolf’s eyes and Byleth still being clothed. In response, she pulled on the hem of her shirt with a soft whine.

Byleth understood and tugged the shirt over her head and tossed it behind her without looking. She removed the wraps that covered her chest and Edelgard looked her over in an unabashed manner. The werewolf was well endowed and Edelgard was more than glad for it, she had a vast gallery of scars all her own that only seemed to add to her appeal. Edelgard’s eyes clung to her form and the planes of her abs that she rarely had a chance to behold. Byleth’s shit eating grin grew as she pressed herself closer to the princess, obviously encouraging her to touch. Edelgard wasn’t in much of a position to resist and explored her chest, enjoying the way Byleth let out an appreciative growl as she toyed with her breasts. 

Byleth ran her fingers along Edelgard’s clothed sex, she almost swore he tips of her fingers were embedded with some manner of impure magic with the way she was making stars float behind her eyes. She was reveling in her ecstasy when she felt a sudden, short pain against the sensitive area. 

“Ah!” Her moan cut off into a yelp upon the sudden feeling. It wasn’t particularly painful but it was unexpected. 

“Shit, sorry,” Byleth murmured, pressing an apologetic kiss to her lover’s lips. “I thought I could manage with…” The werewolf silently held up her hand, showing off the short claws sprouting from her nailbeds. Byleth frowned, her ears almost drooping with an unmasked disappointment in the development.

“It’s fine,” Edelgard whispered, catching her breath. “Just...be careful with me.”

Seeing that Edelgard was still very much in need must have motivated the werewolf. She gingerly gripped the waistband of the princess’s shorts and pulled off her tights and undergarments in one easy movement. 

Edelgard whimpered at the cold air against her wetness and she could feel her slick pussy clench involuntarily. Byleth looked down at her with a mischievous twinkle in her eye as she situated herself between Edelgard’s spread legs. There was something incredibly erotic about watching her grasp the princess’s hips as she licked the tip of her fangs. 

The werewolf lapped at her entrance which made Edelgard’s thighs tremble with the sensation. Byleth occasionally glanced up to make sure Edelgard was comfortable and whatever she saw on the princess’s face spurred her on. Edelgard tangled her fingers in Byleth’s hair, her cries and gasps being accentuated by the tugging of long blue strands closer to her sex. Her werewolf didn’t seem to mind and continued to trace her tongue along the princess’s folds, taking in her scent and taste. 

Edelgard found herself whimpering out Byleth’s name pleadingly as she teased around her clit, barely grazing the bundle of nerves. It was maddening and Edelgard slowly felt herself focus entirely on the feeling of Byleth’s tongue which was dancing around the area she was needed most urgently. 

“B-Byleth, _please_.” Edelgard wasn’t one to beg but in this instance she wasn’t being offered much of a choice. It was clearly what the werewolf wanted from her and if it soothed the ache between her legs, she was willing to let her dignity take a blow. Byleth paused and looked up at the princess, her fuzz-covered ears twitching with interest. 

“What was that?” She asked in mock innocence, tilting her head to one side with her blue eyes blown wide with excitement. 

Edelgard was never going to forgive her for this. 

“I...I need you,” She breathed, her face flushing with the way she was submitting to the werewolf’s desires.

“You need me to what, El?” 

“I need your tongue...here.” She pressed a finger to her clit, letting out a choked gasp when she felt a shot of warmth ride up and along her body. Without any thought she began to rub at her core, whining with the temporary relief it provided from her partner’s teasing. Byleth watched for a moment with a smug look crossing her features before catching Edelgard’s wrist and pulling it away.

The princess let out a keening sound with the loss of contact but it quickly turned into a pathetic mewl as Byleth replaced her fingers with her mouth. Edelgard tossed her head back, gasping as the werewolf licked at her womanhood with a careful precision. 

Heat pooled in Edelgard’s abdomen Byleth continued, and she felt all of her muscles tense in anticipation. Her grip on her lover’s hair became tighter although she exercised what was left of her willpower to not pull too hard as Byleth ate her out. 

With a final cry of Byleth’s name; Edelgard came, crying and moaning into the chilled air. Her vision became dark at the edges as her pussy clenched repeatedly sending waves of pleasure rolling over her. 

Byleth pulled away and settled on top of the princess, crossing her arms over Edelgard’s chest and resting her head on her hands. Her tail brushed along Edelgard’s legs as the wagging continued. As the aftershocks subsided, Edelgard shoved her off with a groan of irritation.

The werewolf laughed and moved back, ensnaring her lover in a kiss. Edelgard could taste herself on Byleth’s lips as she pulled them into a sitting position with the princess straddling her lap.

“When do I get to return the favor?” Edelgard questioned as she kissed along Byleth’s neck, leaving a few marks of her own. She hummed before responding. 

“Soon,” Byleth replied, tilting her head to allow Edelgard better access. “I still want more of you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
